Shipping a car - costs?

[DW SD]

Anyone have a recommendations for shipping a car? I'm considering a 1200 mile away remote purchase. Driving time, fuel costs and time with the family over the holidays makes me think shipping might make more sense.

Approximate costs and service providers would be great to hear about.

Did I post in the right section?

thank you,

Doug

 

[gsxr]

Transport costs vary greatly depending on the origin & destination. As a very rough estimate, plan on $750-$1000 for a 1200 mile trip via open carrier. If you want enclosed, it can be double or triple the cost. When researching a company, check the reviews (link below), but ALSO check their BBB rating. Avoid companies that are unrated or have poor ratings.

http://www.transportreviews.com/

Keep in mind that 99.99% of the companies are brokers, you almost never deal directly with the transport driver's company up front. The broker basically gets a $150-$200 fee acting as a middleman to connect you with the driver. You generally pay the broker fee up front, then pay the driver directly upon delivery. Tip: NEVER, EVER take delivery of a car at night, unless you have the ability to roll it inside under excellent lighting, to inspect BEFORE you pay the driver. This may annoy the driver as they have a habit of showing up after sundown and are in a hurry to unload your car and get to their next destination. But after you pay them and sign away liability, you're stuck with whatever damage may show up later. Don't ask how I know.

 

[DW SD]

Hi Dave,
Thank you much for the information and advice!! My garage is large and lights up brighter than daylight. If I receive a night delivery, I would definitely check things out before paying anyone. I was recommended to uship.com by KarlC, as well. They, too, have lots of reviews.
Had no idea there were so many vehicle transport companies.

Doug

 

[8899]

I shipped my E500 from Denver to the DC area for about $575.00. I highly recommend Ultimate Auto Shipping...check out their web-site:

http://www.ultimateautoshipping.com/

 

[KarlC]

Hi Dave,
Thank you much for the information and advice!! My garage is large and lights up brighter than daylight. If I receive a night delivery, I would definitely check things out before paying anyone. I was recommended to uship.com by KarlC, as well. They, too, have lots of reviews.
Had no idea there were so many vehicle transport companies.

Doug

Doug it was great meeting you last night, you will be a great addition to the 500E / E500 team.

Keep in mind that when you take delivery of a car that is shipped, you usually have to meet the truck in a large open area like a parking lot and if its on a open truce the car will likely be pretty dirty making it harder to see some of the minor paint issues if it has any.

Start a post in the owners thread once the deal is done and keep us all updated !

 

[sheward]

I recommend Reliable Auto Transport. They have been around for years and have a good reputation. The last time i used them their drivers were employees not subcontractors. Very profesional.

drew

 

[gerryvz]

I shipped my E500 from Portland, OR to Houston back in 2008 on an open carrier for around $1800, IIRC. I used Dependable Auto Shippers. The car arrived a bit dirty, but generally cosmetically OK. It arrived about 7 days later than promised, which I wasn't happy about (although we had Hurricane Ike in the meantime). The car was generally OK but, strangely, all of the car's metal tire valve caps were missing. Easy to replace, but weird. Otherwise the car was in good condition.

I would recommend going with an enclosed car carrier and paying the extra for it, as well as going with a firm that has their own employees. For future moves I will employ that method (or just drive the car myself on a nice roadtrip). I drove my 560SL and 560SEC from Portland to Houston in the succeeding 3-4 months after I moved to Houston and both were awesome road trips !!

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[DW SD]

Hi Drew,
Is this reliable's website: http://www.reliablecarriers.com/default.cfm
I think I've seen them advertised in several car magazines. The orange trucks look familiar.
Driving myself sounds like a lot of fun, but also hard with my family and work obligations at this time.

thank you,
Doug

 

[sheward]

Yes. That's their website. They are probably not the cheapest but you won't have any worries about your car arriving the way it left.

drew

 

[BruceWhite]

I strongly recommend citizenshipper transporters. They are very dependable, professional and reasonably priced. They are really easy to work with and also allows you to load your car while shipping.